Exodus 14:16 (KJV)

Passage

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Nearby Context

Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Exodus 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Exodus 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Exodus 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lift", "thou", "stretch", "thine", "hand", "over", "divide", and "children". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lift" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And the LORD said unto Moses Wherefore..." into verse 17's "And I behold I will harden the...", so "lift" and "thou" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lift" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.